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Among the subjects Andy Reid updated Wednesday in his first media session since the bye week was the status of All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters, who is recovering from two Achilles' tendon surgeries. Peters must be placed on a practice-eligible list by Nov. 6, and join the roster three weeks after that, in order to avoid being placed on IR.

Asked if he thinks Peters will play this season, Reid said: “There’s a chance. You saw (Baltimore's Terrell) Suggs go through his thing," Suggs returning to the Ravens' lineup last week after suffering an Achilles' tear in May. "The difference is, Jason’s had two of these. We’re not going to put him at risk … we’re going to make sure the doctors are on board, Jason’s on board, then we go from there.

“If he’s physically able to be there, that’s OK. We’re not going to do anything to risk further injury to him.”

Peters later declined comment in the locker room. The Eagles have shuffled back and forth between replacements Demetress Bell and King Dunlap this season. In the wake of the offensive line's late meltdown in the Eagles' Oct. 14 loss to the Lions, Dunlap has regained the starting job he lost after suffering a hamstring injury at Arizona Sept. 23. Reid indicated Wednesday that Dunlap was returning to the lineup because he was fully healthy, but Dunlap actually was functional the last two weeks before the bye, the coaches just decided to play Bell, whom they are paying $3.25 million this season.

Dunlap was not available for comment. Bell said: "I just took (the demotion) as he was back healthy."

"I don't think we protected as well as we should have up front" in the Detroit game, Bell said, a statement that immediately moved him atop the standings in the weekly "no bleep, Sherlock" award competition. "I can't say" exactly what we went wrong. You just have to watch the film."

"I think I got better over time," said Bell, who played pretty well against the Giants, less well on the road against the Steelers, and way less well against the Lions. "I just know King got helathy, so he's back in the starting lineup."

Asked if he felt misled about his role here, after signing as a free agent last spring, Bell said: "I can't say I feel misled, no."

Reid said his offensive linemen "are proud guys" who spent the bye week reflecting on the Detroit debacle, in which the Eagles led by 10 points with 5 minutes remaining in regulation. "They've heard my say, they've heard their coaches' say. These are competitive guys, and the want to do well, their coaches want to do well. It's important that we do it. There's no talking that's going to help you do this; that's not what it is. You're graded on what happens on Sunday. That's the bottom line. One o'clock Sunday, you go out and you do your thing."

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One thing Reid picked up in his bye week review of the offense was that "the first half hasn't been near as productive as the second half," especially the first quarter, in which the Eagles have been outscored 26-7. Overall, the Eagles are being outscored 61-33 in the first half, and are outscoring opponents 72-59 in the second half. Reid noted that quarterback Michael Vick is ''the same guy in there" both halves. "We've got to make sure we're feeding him the right things," Reid said. "I know there are things we can do to help him."

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Andy Reid spoke as if there still might be doubt Wednesday about whether Mike Patterson will play when his three-week practice window ends; the Eagles opened that window Monday. But Patterson said he doesn't doubt he will be ready to roll in three weeks. "The doc gave me the all-clear. I'm going to go and put pads on and hit somebody," Patterson said.